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The Meade DS-2130 LNT puts good quality 5.1" aperture Newtonian reflector optics on an easy-to-use computerized go-to altazimuth
mount. It can take you effortlessly on a tour of the best sights in the heavens any night the skies are clear. The DS-2130AT LNT
provides a well-balanced mix of performance, portability, and computerized convenience at an extremely affordable price.
For the observer whose interests are the brighter solar system and deep space objects, the DS-2130 LNT has a lot to offer. Its
reflector optics provide sharp images of subtle lunar and planetary details that are free from the spurious color you'll find in
comparably-priced achromatic refractors. Outside the solar system, binary star systems and globular star clusters are sharp and
well-resolved, with the contrasting colors of many binary systems showing nicely. The brighter nebulas and galaxies stand out
nicely against a dark sky background.
Includes:
* 130mm aperture Newtonian reflector optical tube;
* Rack and pinion focuser with 1.25" eyepiece adapter; single-arm fork mount with electric slow-motion controls;
* 9-speed (2x sidereal through 4.5°/sec.) dual-axis motor drive system with sidereal-rate tracking;
* #494 Autostar computer controller;
* Internal battery compartment accepting six (user-supplied) AA-size batteries;
* 1.25" 9.7mm (103x) and 26mm (38x) Super Plössl eyepieces;
* Red dot non-magnifying finder;
* Adjustable height field tripod with accessory tray;
* Dust cap;
* Planetarium software and instructional DVD;
* Operating instructions.
Newtonian reflector optical system: 130mm (5.1") aperture 1000mm focal length f/7.7 system. Aluminum optical tube. Both
primary and diagonal mirror can easily be collimated for peak optical performance.
Finderscope: SmartFinder wide-angle non-magnifying variable brightness red dot finder. The SmartFinder is a quick and easy
way to point your telescope exactly to the desired object in the sky. There's no need to worry about the inverted images you see
through traditional finders. Just align the red dot seen in the SmartFinder with the desired star in the sky and you're done.
Focuser: rack and pinion, with 1.25" eyepiece adapter.
Two eyepieces: Both are four-element fully multicoated 1.25" Super Plössl designs. The first is a 26mm providing a
magnification of 38x. The eyepiece field of view is 1.32° across, over two and a half times wider than the diameter of the
full Moon for expansive views of open star clusters and nebulas. The second is a 9.7mm providing 103x with a 0.48° field for
more close-up views of the planets, globular star clusters, and a full Moon that more than fills the eyepiece field.
Fork mount/drive system: Lightweight single fork arm altazimuth design with pre-installed dual DC servo motor drives. A
compartment in the drive base accepts eight user-supplied AA batteries for powering the telescope.
Adjustable height tripod: The pre-assembled aluminum tripod is adjustable in height to put the scope's eyepiece at a
comfortable level for observing. The tripod's center leg brace holds a convenient accessory tray to keep your eyepieces and
accessories up and out of the dew-soaked grass. The tray has a built-in holder for the Autostar computer hand control.
Autostar computer control with LNT: The supplied Autostar #494 computer hand control has an illuminated numeric keypad and
a two-line 16-character display. It includes a database of 1,471 stars and objects that it can find and follow for you
automatically, including the complete Messier and Caldwell catalogs of famous deep space objects; the best variable stars and
multiple star systems; the planets; the Moon; and more. The objects have been specifically chosen as being those that are
best-suited for observing with the DS-2130 LNT. They provide an excellent introduction to the wide variety of astronomical objects
visible through the telescope.
The Autostar computer uses patented LNT (Level North Technology) to automatically line up your telescope on the sky. A built-in
electronic level sensor, electronic magnetic North sensor, and high precision clock combine with the Level North Technology
software in the Autostar computer to make aligning on the sky as easy as remembering your own zip code. You don't have to be able
to identify stars like Altair or Zubenelgenubi or know how to read a star chart to line up your telescope on the sky. You can find
hundreds of fascinating deep space objects your first night out, even if you have never used a telescope before.
Supplied software: The scope comes with the AutoStar Software Suite Astronomer's Edition – a CD-ROM Windows-based
planetarium program for your PC that can display over 10,000 stars and deep space objects on your computer screen – galaxies,
nebulas, star clusters, stars, and planets. It lets you explore the universe on your computer when the skies are cloudy and you
can't use your scope. It can print out star charts to use later at the telescope and help you plan your observing sessions. Also
included is an instructional DVD that shows you how to set up your scope and get the most out of observing with it.
What you see through the Meade DS-2130 LNT: All of the major planets except Pluto are easily observable through the
DS-2130 LNT. You can study Saturn and its ring system; the primary cloud belts of Jupiter and its four major satellites; the
Moonlike phases of Mercury and Venus; prominent features on Mars; and the starlike images of the distant planets Uranus and
Neptune. The Moon stands out in stark, almost three-dimensional detail – showing you craters by the hundreds, mountain ranges,
scarps, and valleys. Within our Milky Way galaxy the scope displays hundreds of nebulas, star clusters, double and multiple stars,
and variable stars – plus dozens of external galaxies in all their variations of form and structure.
It has four and a half times the light gathering capacity and more than twice the resolving power of the more common 60mm
beginning scope. This gives significantly brighter and more detailed images than is possible with a smaller scope. For the
introductory student of astronomy, or for the casual observer, the Meade DS-2130 LNT opens up the skies at modest cost to an
amazing breadth of celestial detail that is utterly invisible without the telescope.
DS-Series LNT computer
The patented LNT (Level North Technology) of the DS-Series scopes includes an electronic level sensor, an electronic magnetic
North sensor, and a high precision internal clock. These components combine with the Level North Technology software in the
built-in Autostar computer to make aligning on the sky as easy as remembering your own zip code. You don't have to be able to
identify stars like Altair or Zubenelgenubi or know how to read a star chart to line up your telescope on the sky.
Simply take the scope outside and set it up on its supplied tripod. The internal clock keeps track of the time and date, so
there's no need to tell the scope the precise time when you turn it on. Also, the scope will remember your last observing
location, so there's no need to reenter that information if you're observing from the same site. If you're observing from a
different location, simply enter the city and state you are observing from – or just your zip code!
The scope will then use its built-in level and magnetic North sensors to level the optical tube and point it north. The internal
clock will tell the software the correct time. The software will determine where and when on earth it is and what the sky looks
like overhead. It will then move the scope automatically to its first alignment star.
If the star is not precisely centered under the red dot in the SmartFinder non-magnifying finder, you can use the Autostar hand
control pushbuttons to center it to improve the pointing accuracy. Let the scope repeat the process for its second alignment star
and you're ready to start observing. It takes only a few keystrokes on the computer hand control to have the scope move
automatically to your night's first observing target and start tracking it so you can observe at your leisure. You can find
hundreds of fascinating deep space objects your first night out, even if you have never used a telescope before. The LNT system
makes setting up a DS-Series scope fast and easy, and using it virtually foolproof.
The Autostar computer hand control plugs into the telescope's drive base to permit a wide array of telescope options. First and
foremost is its automatic go-to capability. The Autostar computer can show you the planets and hundreds of deep space objects the
very first night you use your scope – even if you've never used a telescope before!
At the push of a button, your DS-Series scope will move at a fast 4.5° per second to any of the 1471 objects in its database.
You can choose from deep-sky objects including 66 named objects (e.g., the Orion Nebula); 74 galaxies; 31 diffuse nebulas; 19
planetary nebulas; 11 quasars; all 109 objects from the Caldwell Catalog of the best objects for small telescopes; and all 110
objects from the Messier catalog. You can choose from 863 stars; the 200 most interesting from the Smithsonian Astrophysical
Observatory (SAO) catalog; 79 famous named stars; 395 double stars; and 189 variable stars. The Autostar will also locate the
centroids of all 88 constellations and 50 objects in the solar system (8 major planets from Mercury to Pluto; the Moon; 26
asteroids; and 15 periodic comets). You can use it to track 50 Earth satellites, including the International Space Station, the
Hubble space telescope, and Mir. You can also automatically move to any object that's not in the database simply by entering its
right ascension and declination coordinates, perhaps to the comet positions published monthly in Astronomy and Sky & Telescope
magazines. You get pushbutton 9-speed dual-axis operation, from a slow 2x the sidereal rate for centering objects to fast 4.5
degrees per second to locate them.
The hand control gives you a continuous digital readout of the telescope position in r.a. and dec. You can add user-defined
objects of your own to its 1471 star and object database. In addition, the Autostar computer readout will display the distance,
temperature, mass, size, and historical information about any of the stars and objects in its database. And it will take you on
self-guided tours of the best objects visible from your location on any given night, along with over 20 other menu options.
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